Cooler for bottled beverages



June 10, 1941. E, c. TANNl-:R A 2,245,234

COOLER FOR BOTTLED BEVERAGES Filed Oct. 19. 1938 Fie. 1.

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ArToRN Patented `lune 10, 1941 a s'rrsf orties COOLER FOR BOTTLED BEVERAGES Elo c. Tanner, springfield, Mass., assigner to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 19, 1938, Serial No. 235,7)34

6 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanical refrigerators and more especially to dry refrigerators for cooling packaged beverages and the like.y

One object of the invention is to provide a dry refrigerator for rapidly cooling packaged beverages and similar articles.

Another object is to provide a compact dry refrigerator for packaged beverages.

Another object is to provide a dry refrigerato for packaged beverages in which the refrigeration apparatus is removable as a unit.

Th'ese and other objects are eiected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which: 1

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the refrigerator of this invention taken on the line II of Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 2 is a section on the line II-lI of Fig. 1 20 with a portion of the foraminated false bottom broken away to show a part of the cooling unit of the refrigerator.

The refrigerator comprises a cabinet of rectangular section and includes an outer shell I0 25 and a horizontal partition I therein dividing the cabinet into an upper refrigerated chamber I2 and a lower machine compartment I3. The refrigerated compartment I2 is provided with heat insulating material I4 and an inner liner I5.'30

The upper wall of the insulated compartment comprises a removable cover I6. A removable insulated section- Il is provided in the bottom of the insulatedffcha'mber I2. The removable cover I6 as well.V as the removablesection I1 is supported by their respective flanges I3 and I9.

A nat, rectangular and horizontal cooling unit or evaporator 2|, somewhat smaller in size than the horizontal cross sectional area of thev re- '40 frigerated chamber I2', is located centrally in the chamber I2 and is supported a distance above the removable section Il by a shroud 22. The shroud 22 in tum is supported by Z-shaped metal strips 23 secured to the removable section I'I. 45

'I'he shroud 22 has a circular opening 24 in its lower portionin which opening an air circulating fari 25 is located. The fanV 2 5 is secured on the end of a vertical shaft 26 which shaft passes through the removable section I1 and'is driven 50 by a motor 2l secured to the lower surface of the removable section Il. The cooling unit 2| comprises spaced apart metal strips 28 through which a tube 29 is passed back and forth, which tube connects through tubes 3| and 32 with a 5 (Cl. G12-102) refrigerant supplyingl unit 33 to be described subsequently.

A foraminated circular plate 34 is secured by brackets 35 above the fan 25, which plate 34 deiects the air currents set up by the fan 25 to flow substantially uniformly through all portions of the cooling unit 2l.

A rectangular foraminated metal plate 36 rests partially on the cooling unit 2| and partially on the brackets 3l, which plate forms afalse bottom in the'refrigerated chamber andl supports the bottles 38 or other packaged beverages. The

fan 25 preferably circulates the air upwardly through the cooling unit 2|, .through the perforations in the Vrectangular plate 36 above the cooling unit 2|, through the storage space above the plate 35, downwardly through the perforations at the borders of the plate 36 and below f the shroud 22 to the fan 25. The flow of air, however, may also be reversed. The bottles 38 or other articles are thus cooled by the air circulating in heat exchange relationship with the cooling unit 2| and also by conduction through contact of the metal plate 39 with the cooling unit 2|. 'I'he path through which the air is circulated is also short and its larea is large so that a large quantity of air may be circulated with a small expenditure of motive power. Any

moisture dripping from the cooling unit is directed by the shroud into a receptacle formed by ridges 20 on the removable 'section I1 and is drained from the receptacle by a tube 30.

The refrigerant supplying' unit 33 which is of conventional design comprises a casing 39 containing a motor driven pump, not shown in the drawing. The pump withdraws the vaporized refrlgerant from the cooling unit 2| through the suction tube 32 passing through the removable section Il. The compressed refrigerant is con- 4ducted through a tube 4| to a condenser 42 through the opening in the bottom of theyrefrigerated chamber.

It will'be apparent from the above description that the entire. refrigerating mechanism may be fore, that removed as a unit from the insulated chamber by removing the false bottom and lifting the entire unit 'including the removable section from the refrigerated chamber. It will also be apparent that this invention provides a dry cooler for articles such as packaged beverages winch is of compact design and which quickly cools articles placed therein.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, thereonly s'uch limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

e 1. In a. dry cooler for packaged beverages and the like, the combination of an insulated chamber, a foraminated metal false bottom therein having a central portion and a border portion, a metallic cooling unit below and in contact with the central portion of said false bottom, said cooling unit having vertical air passages, therein, and means for circulating the air in said cabinet through said air passages and through the forarninations in the false bottom above said cooling unit, said air. returning through the foraminations at .the border portion of the false bottom.

2. In a coolerfor packaged beverages and the like, the combination of an insulated chamber, a flat, horizontal, ,and metallic cooling unit near but spaced from the bottom and from the side of said insulated chamber, said cooling unit having vertical air passages therethrough, a foraminated metal plate above and in contact with said cool-4 ing unit, said plate forming a false bottom in said chamber for supporting the packaged beverages, and al motor-driven fan for circulating the air in said chamber through said air passages, through the foraminations in the portionl of the plate above said cooling unit, through the storage space above the plate, and reversely through the foraminations near the border of the plate.

3. In a cooler for packaged beverages and the like, the combination of an insulated chambera' nat, horizontal, and metallic cooling unit near but spaced .from the bottom and from the sides of said insulated chamber, said cooling unit having vertical air passages therethrough, a foraminated metal plate above and in contact with said cooling unit, said plate forming a false bottom in said chamber for supporting the' packagedbeverages, and a motor-driven fan for circulating the air in said chamber upwardly through said air passages, through the foraminations in the portion of the plate above said cooling unit, and through the storage space above the plate, said air returning ing air passages therein.

' ber, a closure for said opening, a foraminated false bottom having a central portion and a border portion, said false bottom being located in said chamber to divide the same into a bottlestorage compartment and an air-cooling compartment located below the bottle-storage compartment, and means in said air-cooling compartment for blowing chilled air through the foraminations in the central portion of said false bottom, said storage and cooling compartments being constructed to guide said air through the foraminations at the border portions of said false bottom back to said means.

'5. In a dry cooler for packaged beverages and the like, the combination of an insulated chambex', an access opening in the top oi said chamber, a closure for said opening, a toraminated partition in said chamberdlviding the same into a bottle-storage compartment and an air-cooling compartment located below the bottle-storage compartment, and means in said air-cooling compartment for blowing chilled air through a portion of said foraminated partition, said storage and cooling compartments being constructed to guide said air back to said means through the foraminations at another portion of said partition.

6. In a dry cooler for packaged beverages and the like, the combination of an insulated chamber, an access opening in the top of said'chamber, a closure for said opening, a Ioraminated partition in said chamber dividing the same into a bottle-storage compartment and an air-cooling compartment located below the bottle-storage compartment, a removable section in the bottom of said chamber, a cooling unit supported on said removable sectionfsaid cooling unit havmeans for circulating the air in said chamber through said passages of the cooling unit and through a portion of said foraminated'partition, said cooling and storage compartments being constructed to guide said air back to said air-circulating means through the foraminations of another portion of said partition, and refrigerating apparatus below and secured to said removable section for supplying refrigerant to said cooling unit, said removable section, said refrigerating apparatus, and said cooling unit being removable from said chamber as a unit.

ELO C. TANNER. 

